The shifter is here to stay. Everything will have something similar once every vehicle gets the 8 or 9 speed transmissions.

Based on the comments I've seen, I think a lot of the objections to the new gearshift aren't just from having an electronic shifter instead of a more traditional mechanical lever. It sounds more like this specific electronic shifter may not be implemented very well and people are having trouble adapting to it. A complete change from the center-mounted lever to buttons or a dial might have been easier for some people - make a clean break and avoid muscle-memory conflicts.

But not TOO big a change, of course. Just imagine how miserable you'd be if you had to go through uconnect just to shift from reverse to drive in the parking lot. Or voice control, "Hey kids, do you want to go to the park- *horrible noises as the jeep shifts in to park at 40mph*".

Based on the comments I've seen, I think a lot of the objections to the new gearshift aren't just from having an electronic shifter instead of a more traditional mechanical lever. It sounds more like this specific electronic shifter may not be implemented very well and people are having trouble adapting to it. A complete change from the center-mounted lever to buttons or a dial might have been easier for some people - make a clean break and avoid muscle-memory conflicts.

But not TOO big a change, of course. Just imagine how miserable you'd be if you had to go through uconnect just to shift from reverse to drive in the parking lot. Or voice control, "Hey kids, do you want to go to the park- *horrible noises as the jeep shifts in to park at 40mph*".

I have the dial in my ram. It just seems wrong to have but you can't screw it up. I like the shifter in the grand because of sport mode, a simple slap and you have a little more get up and go.

Won't happen. While they have put the 6.4 in one non-SRT vehicle (2014 Dodge Ram) and plan to put it in another non-SRT vehicle next year, the Summit is definitely not in the running. For the Jeep, it will remain an SRT exclusive.

So there won't be a Jeep that can compete head-to-head with the Range Rover Sport or Porsche Cayenne (having both great ON Road performance along withOFF Road ability).

So there won't be a Jeep that can compete head-to-head with the Range Rover Sport or Porsche Cayenne (having both great ON Road performance along withOFF Road ability).

Darn it.

I was hoping for an SRTrail Edition.

Thats what happens when many of the folks at SRT only know how to go fast in straight line. They had to outsource the development and prep of 2014 Viper for Le Mans to Riley. SRT should really do a GC for the Dakar Raid but then many of their fanboys would think SRT had come out a cologne "Dakar Raid" . Cayenne isn't as capable off road as a Range Rover Sport

That's why they're going with a different location. I probably shouldn't say anything yet, as it's a little early to reveal some of the 2015 features, but the plan is to relocate the shifter to the overhead console - to free up the constant requests for more room in the center console. The engineers feel that most customers are now using the paddle shifters, and with reverse being used only for 1.6% of shifts, that it would not be too inconvenient for drivers to reach up to shift into reverse, or to do the same when parking.

The shifter is here to stay. Everything will have something similar once every vehicle gets the 8 or 9 speed transmissions. I do hope they never take out the manual parking brake though because that is one thing that should retain a physical connection.

No, there is nothing new or different with this shifter. You have park, reverse, neutral, and drive with a method to actuate sport mode and paddles on the wheel. Dozens of cars have been here first and the number of gears means nothing. Nor are electronic shifters a new thing devised for any need associated with more ratios. The only thing different about this shifter is that form has triumphed over function.

Personally I would prefer it if they went to a good old fashioned wheel mounted stalk just like mom had in her station wagon. Works perfectly, is right where you need it, doesn't take up space. Frankly I hope someone gets fired if they stick it in the overhead. Talk about stupidity.